


Coffee Beans and Dimples

by SarahWritesThings



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Barista Chakotay, Caffeine addicted Kathryn, F/M, Fluffy, SO MUCH FLUFF, and they're both grad students, its a wild mix of all three, just some happy fluff with a pinch of inuendo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:00:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22591417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahWritesThings/pseuds/SarahWritesThings
Summary: Everybody knows how much Kathryn loves coffee, so is it really surprising she fell for the handsome barista?
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 15
Kudos: 39
Collections: Janeway/Chakotay Trope fics





	Coffee Beans and Dimples

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Janeway/Chakotay Trope Fest 2020. Check out [jctropes on Tumblr](https://jctropes.tumblr.com/) or the Collection ;)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rain creates the opportunity for a chance meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the adventure. I believe there is a distinct lack of Coffee Shop AU fics in the J/C fandom, which is a tragedy because it's _coffee_ :D

The gust of air nearly sent her toppling over. It was bitingly cold out with a torrential downpour beating the San Francisco streets, so Kathryn was really regretting leaving her cozy, warm apartment in the first place. Tragically, her copy of _Inferno_ had finally given up and the binding breaking clear in half, just as she was desperate for a reread. Just to add insult to injury, her usual bookshop was closed due to flooding, forcing Kathryn to battle the gale force winds to find a new one.

She ducked under an awning, trying to blink away the water so she could identify her surroundings. The sidewalks were deserted, save for the person jumping out of a car and running into a shop. In the distance, everything faded to a sullen, cloudy blue, and the warm light of the streetlamps reflected of the watery road and the shiny glass around her.

Kathryn reached into her pocket, pulling out a notepad carrying the instructions to the bookshop. Her fingertips began to ache with the cold, but she carefully focused on the map in front of her. Apparently, the shop was just a few more blocks away, but any upcoming intersections were completely masked by the fog, making that short distance feel like a marathon.

She sighed, wishing she had boughten a new copy when she first realized her _Inferno_ ’s days were numbered, but it had always slipped her mind. Sliding the notebook back in her pocket, Kathryn glanced around, jostled by the sound of a ringing bell close by.

Across the street she saw warm light spreading across the pavement, with a shadowy figure moving quickly into a car that had pulled up aside the building. Her eyes drifted to the storefront behind him, where the image of a little mug floated just above the doorway.

_Coffee._

Glancing back and forth, Kathryn hurried across the road. A cup of coffee was just what she needed to push her through the final leg of her journey.

She pushed her way inside the café, her eyes falling shut as she took in the familiar scent of roasted coffee beans, feeling the warmth seeping into her bones. If it wasn’t for her wet clothes, not to mention the fact that she was in public, Kathryn might have curled up and fallen asleep on the floor.

A chuckle reverberated around the room, causing Kathryn’s eyes to snap open.

There were no patrons in the little café, only one worker; a man standing behind the counter, smirking at her. A tattoo adorned his forehead, the dark lines surrounding one eye with a stunning delicacy. Her eyes traced the pattern, before dropping down to his deep eyes, sparking with laughter.

Kathryn felt her cheeks grow hot, standing up straight, trying to regain some of her decency. He must have seen her struggle up the street and across the road. She must be an amusing sight, dripping wet and wrapped in a humongous coat. She made her way across the café, trying to peel pieces of hair off her face with any small amount of grace.

The barista still had that glorious smile on his face. “What can I get you?”

_Oh lord._

His voice was like honey, rich and warm, making _every_ part of her body heat comfortably.

Thankfully her instincts kicked in and Kathryn answered, “coffee, black.”

“Anything else I can do for you?”

_You can do m-_

“Yes,” she stammered, her brain stuttering in the attempt to form coherent thoughts, “coffee."

He shook his head mirthfully, turning away to fill a cup. “You’re pretty brave to be out on the street. Business has been so slow today I sent my coworker home early. No point in both of us standing around.”

Kathryn tried to respond, but her voice seemed to have been frozen along with her brain. She nodded idly along, not registering that he wouldn’t be able to see it.

The barista turned around, now holding a steaming mug. “You’re a quiet one, aren’t you?”

“Not usually,” Kathryn muttered, reaching out for the cup.

Another brilliant chuckle, “no?”

Kathryn rolled her eyes, letting the warmth of the cup heat her, _not that she needed to get much hotter_. “No, my mother will tell you that the last quiet moment she had was just before I said my first word.”

He smiled again, this time a wide smile that showed off perfect teeth and dimples.

_Dimples. He has dimples._

She felt herself getting lost in his joy, basking in the sunlight he emanated. With a jolt she brought herself back to Earth, reaching into her pocket for money, “how much?”

But the barista shook his head, “anyone who braves the storm deserves a free cup of coffee. It’s the least I can do.”

"Nonsense! You said yourself, business is slow today."

"I insist."

She paused, hand sliding back into her pocket. “Are you sure?”

“Of course,” he threw a towel over his shoulder, “I am not a man to deprive a woman of her coffee.”

“Oh….well….thank you…." She turned slightly, too aware of the drips from her coat to feel particularly flirty, even is this was the single most beautiful man she had ever seen.

"Good luck out there." He winked, before moving away and into a back room.

Every bone in her body wished she could stay and learn more about this man, but time was ticking, and the bookstore was due to close soon. She dragged her feet as she walked back to the entrance, looking out the window to see rain that was just as heavy as it was before. With one last glance over her shoulder, Kathryn left the café.


End file.
